Wagon-tongue support.



J. D. HENSLEY.

WAGON TONGUE SUPPORT.

APPLICATION FILED AFR. I2, 1916.

l ,U6,3, Patented Nov. 28.1916.

JOSEPH D. HENSLEY, OF

nnnnsaw, NEBRASKA.

WAGON-TONGUE SU2PORT.

neoease.

Application filed April 12,

1 b all whom it may concern Be it known that I Josnrrr D. Hnnsnny. a citizen of the United States, residing at Kenesaw, in the county of Adams and State of Nebraska, have invented new and useful Improvements in tVagon-Tongue Supports of which the following is a specification.

This invention is an improved wagon tongue support embodying a tongue support-- ing spring and means to det-achably connect the tongue to the spring to cause the spring to hold the tongue in raised position and permit the tongue to be lowered when desired, the object of the invention being to provide improved devices of this character which are cheap and simple in construction and which may be readily attached to any ordinary vehicle having a tongue.

The invention consists in the construction, combination and arrangement of devices hereinafter described and claimed.

In the accompanying drawing :Figure 1 is a plan of a tongue support constructed in accordance with my invention, showing the same in use. Fig. 2 is a longitudinal sectional view of the same on the plane indi cated by the line a-a of Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a detail transverse sectional view of the same on the plane indicated by the line b?) of Fig. 1.

For the purposes of this specification the front axle of a wagon is indicated at 1, the front hounds at 2, the sandboard at 3 and the tongue at 4, provided at the rear end with the usual fork 5, the pivot bolt of the tongue being indicated at 6.

In accordance with my invention 1 provide a spring 7 for supporting the front end of the tongue in raised position. This spring is here shown arranged in a substantially U-shaped bracket 8 which is here shown as secured to the front side of the sandboard and is provided with down wardly extending arms 9 which engage under the front axle. Bars 10 bear against the rear sides of the front aXle and sandboard and bolts 11 are employed which pass between the sandboard and front axle and secure said arms 9 to said bars, thereby clamping the bracket in place.

A yoke 12 is arranged in the bracket and for longitudinal sliding movement on a pair of angled guide elements 13 which are here shown as bolts. The spring bears between the front side of the bracket and the yoke. A. bolt rod is is attached to the yoke passes Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Nov. 38, T91 6. iaie. Serial m. 90,700.

through the spring and through an opening in the center of the bracket and is provided at its front end with an eye 15.

A bracket plate 16 is secured at the rear, forked end of the tongue and on the cross bar 17 of the tongue fork by a clamping plate 18 and bolts 19. This bracket plate is providec at its front end with a vertical arm 20 which has a recess 21 in its upper 6 end and is also provided with a guide opening 22. A longitudinally adjustable rod 23 is here shown as comprising a pair of members 24:, 25 adjustably connected together by a turn buckle 26. The member 25 has an eye 27 at its rear end pivotally engaged with the eye 15 of the bolt rod 14:. The member 24 is provided in opposite sides at a suitable distance from its front end with notches 28. An inverted U-shaped latch 29 is arranged astride the vertical arm 20 of the bracket plate for vertical movement thereon and in the recess 21 and is provided with vertical slots 30 for engagement with the notches 28 of the rod 26 and with enlarged openings 31 at the lower ends of said slots to clear the said rod and permit longitudinal movement thereof when the latch is raised. A lever 32 is also provided for operating said latch, said lever being pivotally mounted as at 33 on the arm 20, having an arm 34: to engage under the latch and also having a stop lug 35 extending over the latch.

When the front end of the tongue is raised and the latch is dropped to engage the sides of the slots 30 in the notches 28 of the rod 23 the tongue is connected to the spring so that the latter eXerts its tension to hold the tongue in raised position. When it is desired to drop the front end of the tongue it is only necessary to raise the latch, by means of the lever, to disengage the slots 30 from the notches 28 and permit the rod 23 to move through the openings 31.

While I have herein shown the bracket 8 attaching the spring to the wagon. Modifications may be also made in the form, proportion and construction of the several parts without departing from the spirit of my invention as defined in the appended claims.

Having thus described my invention what I claim is:--

1. In a vehicle, a tongue, a tongue sup porting spring attached to a fixed part of the vehlcle, a connecting rod attached to the spring and having a notch, a bracket plate secured on the ton 'ue and having an open mg to recelve the rod, a latch mounted for vertical movement on the bracket plate and provided With a slot to engage and disengage the notched portion of the connecting rod, and a lever pivotally mounted on the bracket plate and having an arm bearing under and arranged to lift the latch.

21in a vehicle, a tongue, a tongue supporting spring attached to a fixed part of the vehicle, a. connecting rod attached to the spring and having a notch, a bracket plate secured on the tongue and having an open- JOSEPH D. HENSLE Y.

Witnesses:

ALONZO CORTER, H. M. RUSSELL.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents,

Washington, D. G. 

